Javier's PoV:
A sigh left my lips, feet beating against the soft, muddy material underneath me. Nervousness rose in me not only because I was in an unknown area, in Spain nonetheless, but the fight Toni and Romano shared in the evening would be heard even by a deaf person. A bitter thought flashed through my mind but I quickly waved it off before it could grow to me. We had enough problems as it was and throwing into the pile even more and for such stupid reason would only worsen the situation.
Plus, the worst problem appeared to be the tension in the crew; it was bad, more than that and I've already heard some of them talking about betraying Antonio. Now that he himself made the air even heavier didn't help at all. But seriously, why would he just drink out of blue? At times like these, he still reminded me of how childish he could get. Even though he knew just the right people.
I came upon a small village as the young captain promised I would and after less than half an hour found an oddly, fancy-looking house compared to others on the furthest edge of this quiet community. As three of my knuckles touched the well-polished wood, the softest of knocks echoed through the air.
As I stood there, waiting, I recalled Antonio's words of reassurance as he set me off here, to his so-called friend. He said I might remember him from when we were younger but even after uncovering me his name, spots in my head that should've been memories of the person were blank. So, I was more than taken aback when the door opened, leaving me to face a tall, blond man.
With all honesty, I wasn't sure how to feel; to be scared from his appearance or from his behaviour. Later on, I learned it all linked together into the man with spiky hair and a blue-white scarf wrapped around his neck no matter the weather. "¿Qué deseas?" the question filled my ears, a heavy Dutch accent soaking into words. Yet, another shock for me that day.
Still, I drowned my fingers into my pockets, reaching for a letter-shaped piece of paper and let his eyes hover over it. "Para una dama en Barcelona. Eres un contacto que me dijeron usar," I said simple and snatched my hand away when he reached for the paper. "Sólo un contacto. No lo olvides."
His sharp eyes, a mix of green, amber and blue, burned a hole into my head as he stared at me with what seemed to be a look I should've obeyed, yet I only gave him a cocked eyebrow and hid the letter again. "¿Quien te envio?" A small smirk of victory played across my lips at the well-hidden yet still well-visible spark of defeat. However, the question was also perfectly thought out and after thinking for a second, I mentally shook my shoulders; 'His own words said it's his friend, his own problem to solve.' "Capitán Antonio de Rosa sangrienta."
His face was overtaken by shock for just a second as it turned into pure cockiness, his eyes sparkling at the name. I could even hear a soft scoff escape his lips as he mentioned for me to follow him in, anyway. No idea what has just happened but I didn't care; as long as he kept his mouth shut and caused no troubles.
"No la desgastes; ella es la mejor que tengo," his heavily accented statement brought me back to reality, noticing a well-built horse standing proudly in front of me. "Por supuesto," I said matter-of-fact and hopped onto the strong animal after helping myself with the riding equipment. I squeezed her sides and she walked forward, I guiding her to a back gateway.
But before setting off to north, I gave the Dutch man a firm glance, "Bien podría mantener esto en secreto, señor...." "Diederik." 'A special name for a special person' thought I as I flashed him a daring smirk, "Señor Diederik, eso es."
-------------------
I couldn't gainsay the strange man; this horse had a better stamina than I ever did in my life. Her legs worked non-stop for the past three days with no rest at all, a stop to fill her stomach now and then but never a real rest. However, it was no time for me to think of the breathing animal underneath me as the stony walls of a certain metrópoli neared. What seemed to be tons of people huddled in front of the main entrance, animals and carriages accompanying them.
Perhaps, I was to use such opportunity to slip quietly into the city because, yes, I came here with no plan of disguise at all. 'You deal with your problems without me if they catch me' flashed through my mind as I cursed the damned boy in my head, slipping on the hood of my coat at least as a try and slipped into the loud crowd.
It went faster than I thought and if my heart wasn't beating fast enough before, it most certainly started then when I noticed army components checking some of the new-comers. With a terrible curse escaping me, I realized I could, once again, tag along and after picking my victim, I stopped my horse behind them.
"¿Él está contigo?" the man-in-arms asked, giving the hideous me a suspicious look and before the one I tagged along with could say anything, I nodded and the probably very naïve man noted something and let us go. Once he gave "us" a green light, I basically kicked the horse into her weaknesses and she began to dash through the many people and onto an unknown street.
With half of the nervousness gone, I pulled the leather reins to me and shifted my weight on her lower back, the animal automatically slowing to a steady, fast-paced walk. A sigh left me as I strode down street after street, trying to find that one certain house Antonio told me about. And after an hour or so, when the sun took its leave, I seemed to find it.
Knocking on the front door was a straight no, so I went around and found the entrance for servants, knuckles sounding against the hard wood. Just seconds later, it was opened by a young lady, whose charm could get under any man's skin. "¿Señorita Noor?" my voice came out raspy and dry, probably from not drinking enough water for the past few hours. Her blonde hair bounced as she nodded, fixing some of it behind her ear and her deep, light green eyes sparkled. "Una carta para ti."
After unfolding it, her bright pools scanned the paper and she nodded with a frown crossing her beautiful face. "Esperame en el pub cercano, estaré allí alrededor de las nueve," her sweet-as-honey voice whispered and with that, the fairy lady was gone from my sight. Blink blink did my eyes before glancing at the silver pocket watch I always carried with me; 7:47 showed the watch and my shoulders slumped.
Taking the horse by her reins, I dragged her to the said near-by pub already full of people. Leather wrapped around a banister, I rode down the wooden side of it with back pressed against it. How I managed to both not fall asleep and kill the waiting time is for me until this day anonymous but soon, the great tower watch announced nine and less than five minutes later, Noor stopped her heels in front of me.
"¿Debemos?" with a light motion of her head towards the lively building, I stood up and hurriedly followed her tiny frame right up. After sitting down, the light brightening her features, I noticed her hair having a brownish shade on the edges, being now held back with a dark-green ribbon. My daydreaming was soon interrupted by the lady in front of me; "¿Como es el?"
The question caught me off guard and took me good few moments to realize who she was asking about. "Bien, podría decir," my simple statement seemed to please her as a small smile creeped onto her cat-like lips. "Agradable de él ponerse en contacto después de todos esos años," she said in a light-hearted voice and folded her hands in her lap. Maybe it was the long pause or my questioning look because she quickly continued, "Le tomó mucho tiempo escribir a una amiga de la infancia."
Seriously, either I was already so old to forget everything or Antonio kept more secrets from me because this was truly confusing and annoying me. Her laugh, however, made my heart flutter. "You probably don't remember me," Noor sighed playfully as she slipped into English. "We often played in the royal garden, secretly, of course." 'I honestly give up on him' I mentally sighed. "And Diederik always tagged along even though he wanted to show his hate towards it," she beamed again. I cocked an eyebrow at the name but didn't ask any further as it I've given up on knowing more.
"However, now that all formalities are done, Mister Javier," she said, dragging my name out long in a low, serious voice. "I've read the letter properly but let me make myself certain; is he really planning on going to Vienna?" Her eyes sparkled with what seemed as hope for disagreement, me stating Antonio was but, as insane as it was, he did; "It appears to be so," I sighed out.
Her orbs hovered over me for a long time, neither of us speaking until a sigh left her, too. "Very well then, I will help you even though it's an ungrateful idea." The lady's words stung bitterly but the truth was obvious there. The plain fabric of her dress straightened as she stood up, making me stand up as well, "Let us go to the stables then."
I followed her out of the city, the animal right behind me as the reins were lazily hooked over my shoulder. For such tiny woman and in her social position, she sure didn't mind walking and, I've noticed on the way, was quite feisty. All of my offers for her to ride the horse effortlessly were waved off by her slender hand.
"So, here we are, my dear," she said quietly as a tall but disused building stood in front of us, the only torch I held in my hand brightening its walls. "You have luck my master pays me well and I know lots of important people here," her voice darted into my ears as I walked into the stables, many noises of snorts and such welcoming us right away. It wasn't a taunt, her point-out, so I smiled and helped myself to a light scoff.
It took me quite some time and effort to prepare all of the horses (not many, just four actually) and tied them together for a better traveling. Soon, I hopped onto my very own and finally walked out, Noor already standing outside in the moonlight. She walked closer, her light steps not even echoing in the stillness of a night.
"Just....arrive safely," she whispered, her hand resting on my horse's neck and stoked her fur a few times. I gave her the best grin I could and pulled the reins closer, the animal's head shooting up in attention. "Don't worry your pretty head with me, missy," I said a bit too half-heartedly and she all but smiled back at me.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
"¿Qué deseas?" - "What do you want?"
"Para una dama en Barcelona. Eres un contacto que me dijeron usar." - "For a lady in Barcelona. You're a contact they told me to use."
"Sólo un contacto. No lo olvides." - "Only a contact. Don't forget that."
"¿Quien te envio?" - "Who sent you?"
"Capitán Antonio de Rosa sangrienta." - "Captain Antonio of Rosa sangrienta."
"No la desgastes; ella es la mejor que tengo," - "Don't wear her out; she's the best I've got."
"Por supuesto." - "Of course."
"Bien podría mantener esto en secreto, señor...." - "It would be good to keep this as a secret, mister...."
"Señor Diederik, eso es." - "Mister Diederik, it is."
"¿Él está contigo?" - "Is he with you?"
"¿Señorita Noor?" - "Miss Noor?"
"Una carta para ti." - "A letter for you."
"Esperame en el pub cercano, estaré allí alrededor de las nueve." - "Wait for me in the near pub, I'll be there around nine."
"¿Debemos?" - "Shall we?"
"¿Como es el?" - "How is he?"
"Bien, podría decir." - "Fine, I could say."
"Agradable de él ponerse en contacto después de todos esos años." - "Nice of him to get in touch after so many years."
"Le tomó mucho tiempo escribir a una amiga de la infancia." - "It took a long time to write a childhood friend."
S O R R Y F O R T H E S P A N I S H S E N T E N C E S . The grammar, translation and all is just bad, I know. I should probably just stop because it's a real pain in the ass but it gives the story THE setting. T~T Honestly, I feel so sick....
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this poor excuse of a chapter. As I said, I won't be able to post anything next week, maybe in the laaate evening. I'd write something about this week, how my life went but there's just so much, so little time and those are some personal things and, plus, I'm lazy af and tired, too.
Okay, maybe a little bit. I don't understand why my friends are all disgusted over my snack. Like, bread without nothing and a piece of orange won't make me sh*t myself, thank you very much, dear mates. It's healthy, for Plushenko's sake.
That reminds me....THE MOTHERF- WORLD'S ARE HERE SOON! Why is this World so mean to me??? Haven't I had enough in my childhood? Not only do I suffer from depression, insomnia, anxiety, do self-harm and even my PROFESSORS are starting to worry but this, too??? I give up.
Please, leave a vote and perhaps a comment, it'll make me happy. Love you all, thanks for reading! :D Also, happy International Women's day! <3 <3 <3
- Boora-chan